Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Inside Man: With Anthony Zettel now at tackle, Penn State's defensive line beginning to take shape

Penn State football, first day of spring practice

New Penn State defensive line coach Sean Spencer works with reserve end Brad Bars on Monday. PSU's defensive line could feature an interesting change-up in 2014 with the news that Anthony Zettel has moved from end to tackle. Joe Hermitt, PennLive

A few Penn State football
thoughts with the Nittany Lions' program in the early stages
of its first spring under the direction of James Franklin ...

**There may be some questions
surrounding the offensive line, particularly at center and the right tackle spot,
but I think Franklin's front four is beginning to take shape.

PSU's coaching staff has
moved a pair of redshirt sophomore defensive tackles, Derek Dowrey and Brian
Gaia, to offensive guard, which means another redshirt sophomore, Austin
Johnson, is the one to beat out for the nose tackle spot.

Johnson appeared in all 12
games last season and recorded 20.5 tackles, three of them for losses. He has
impressive size (6-4, 313) and certainly looks the part of a Big Ten defensive
lineman.

The other tackle spot might belong
to a former end, fourth-year junior Anthony Zettel, who has added about 15
pounds (6-4, 274) and has the strength and quickness – he had eight sacks
playing as backup end in 2012 and 2013 – to cause problems.

The move of Zettel to end
robs PSU of some depth outside and it also means fourth-year junior Deion
Barnes and fifth-year senior C.J. Olaniyan (11 tackles for loss last season)
are the likely starters if they stay healthy.

**I believe this is a big
spring for redshirt freshman offensive tackle Andrew Nelson, a Hershey High
School graduate. I mentioned earlier the Lions have an issue at right tackle
because there is only one tackle on the roster, fourth-year junior Donovan
Smith, with playing experience. And Smith will play the left side.

Nelson redshirted in 2013 and
caught the eye of former coach Bill O'Brien early in the season. After Smith and Nelson, the only other
scholarship tackle on the roster for the spring is January enrollee Chasz
Wright. Three more scholarship tackles – 2014 class members Noah Beh, Brendan
Brosnan and Chance Sorrell – will join the team for summer practices but I
believe the opportunity is there for the 6-5, 305-pound Nelson to claim the job
with a strong spring.

**Franklin announced Monday
he will open up PSU practices for the parents of players, yet another
interesting decision by a coach who is regarded as one of the top
recruiters in the country.

"Our practices will
now be open for the parents,'' Franklin said.

"I
don't think that's ever been the case before. They have to let us know
ahead of time that they're coming. But parents will be open to
practice. We want them there. We're going to do some things.

"We'd
like to have a parent picnic during the spring game, after the spring
games. So it gives me an opportunity to get to know these parents because
I haven't been to their homes and broke bread and home visits, and school
visits and things like that, and we want to do this together.

"We're
going to need their support, the parents' support as well, so that's going to be
a big part of it."